Sensitive components within a housing, such as optics assemblies, often require protection from damage during storage. One solution is to place a cover over the housing. The cover itself may not be sufficient to prevent all types of damage, such as that caused by moisture or air. To protect against all types of damage, a seal may placed between the housing and the cover. Common types of seal are gaskets or elastomeric o-rings that provide protection from dust, air, and moisture.
One problem with these types of seals, however, is that over time, the elastomer portion of the seal may adhere to plastic or metal surfaces, causing the cover to stick to the housing. In applications where the cover is removed through non-manual methods, sticking of the cover may result in either a delayed removal of the cover or the cover may not come off at all. In guidance or navigation applications, the failure or delay of the cover to come off may cause a complete failure of the device or mission.
One solution to the sticking problem is to increase the force at which the cover is removed, such as by increasing the ejection spring force of the system used to remove the cover. Increasing the spring force may not always be an option, however, if the available structure is not capable of withstanding the forces associated with increasing spring size or ejection force.